Tang huaiqiu

Tang huaiqiu

Tang huaiqiu (1898-1954), formerly known as Zhenqiu, is an activist, actor and director of Chinese drama. He is from Xiangxiang, Hunan Province. In his early years, he went to France to study aviation machinery. In 1925, he returned to China and joined Nanguo society and Guangdong drama Research Institute. In 1933, China Travel troupe was organized to perform famous Chinese and foreign dramas, which had a great influence on promoting the professionalization of drama performance and improving the artistic level of drama performance. After the founding of the people's Republic of China, he served as director of the Chinese Academy of drama. He died in 1954.

Life of the characters

Xiangxiang County, Hunan Province (now Xiangxiang City), was born on October 14, 1898 in Xingren Township, Xiangxiang County, a family of officials. He studied in Japan from 1911 to 1916 and graduated from Tokyo Chengcheng middle school. In 1919, he studied in France and studied in Wallman Aviation College. He returned to Shanghai in 1925. At that time, there were only a few Chinese students who specialized in aviation abroad. His father was a friend of Tan Yankai, so all over the country competed to hire them. Just at this time, he met his old friends Ouyang Yuqian and Tian Han, changed his way of life and began his hard life of painting. In Tian Han's poems, there was a saying that "if you are willing to throw your clothes, you will be called an actor", which refers to this. In 1926, he cooperated with Tian Han in Shanghai and founded Nanguo film and drama club. He took part in the shooting of the unfinished film "going to the folk" and performed plays such as "Suzhou night talk" and "the death of celebrities". He is the main backbone of Nanguo society. In early 1929, at the invitation of Ouyang Yuqian, director of the Guangdong Institute of drama, he went to Guangzhou to serve as the director of drama affairs of the Institute and the dean of the drama school attached to the Institute. In the winter of 1933, without funds and unwilling to let the government be the backstage, he founded the China Travel theater company in Shanghai with his own enthusiasm and courage, as well as the support of friends in the drama industry. At that time, the Chinese people were suffering endless suffering from warlord scuffles and imperialist aggression. Drama was introduced to China as a western art, and not many audiences could appreciate it. Regardless of success or failure, he joined this small theater company with his wife Guan Jing and daughter Tang ruoqing, who started with only a few members. After a miserable operation and the joint efforts of the partners, "China Travel Drama Troupe", a pure folk professional drama troupe, has traveled all over Ping, Tianjin, Shanghai, Ning, Han and Hong Kong. After 14 years of hard support, it has finally broken a path, expanded the influence of drama and promoted the professionalization of drama. Many important plays directed and starred by him have formed their own artistic style. He trained a large number of drama talents, such as Shu Xiuwen, Lanma, Baiyang, Tao Jin, sun daolinbei and so on. Sun Jinglu, a famous drama actor, once said, "I started my artistic career under the guidance of Mr. Tang huaiqiu." He has a close relationship with the film industry. In February 1933, the China Film Culture Association was established in Shanghai, and he was elected executive member. He has played major roles in such films as the morning of metropolis, lovelorn, peach and plum hijacking, flower of the earth, Confucius, Hong xuanjiao and thunderstorm.

During the Anti Japanese War, because he organized and performed progressive plays in the enemy occupied areas, he was put into prison twice in Peking and Shanghai by the Japanese army, and his body was devastated. He was not afraid of inducement and coercion, showing the lofty integrity of a patriot. Tian Han praised him for "opening up wasteland and sowing for three thousand li, suffering for twenty years" and "being proud and full of fighting, the bull in Hunan".

After the liberation of the whole country, he served as the director section chief of the Beijing Institute of Chinese opera, and participated in the directing of the story of the military rune. He died on April 25, 1954.

In November 1984, the Chinese Dramatists Association held a special commemorative meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of China Travel theatre and the 30th anniversary of the death of Tang huaiqiu, a famous dramatist. Both Yang Hansheng and Cao Yu said in their speeches that he was "a pioneer in the cause of Chinese drama.".

Chronology of deeds

He was born in Xiangxiang, Hunan Province on October 14, 1898. He studied in Japan in 1912.

He graduated from Tokyo Chengcheng middle school in 1918. Later, he studied in France to study aviation.

In 1925, he graduated and returned to China. He met Tian Han and began his drama career.

From 1926 to 1928, he participated in all the drama activities from Nanguo film and drama club to Nanguo society, and starred in a number of films and plays, such as going to the folk, Suzhou night talk, and the death of celebrities.

In 1929, he came to Guangzhou to serve as the director of drama affairs of Guangdong drama Research Institute and the director of educational affairs of affiliated schools.

At the end of 1933, Tang huaiqiu set up a Chinese travel troupe characterized by "folk, occupation and mobility".

In March 1934, Mei luoxiang was premiered in Nanjing, which started the professionalization of modern drama. In July of the same year, he led China Travel Service (CTS) to the north and performed in Peking famous Chinese and foreign dramas such as Camellia girl, King Niu, shopkeeper, hero and beauty, the net of the earth, resurrection, compromise and thunderstorm. He trained many excellent actors such as Tang ruoqing, Tao Jin, Zhao Huishen, Baiyang, Daiya and Lanma, and made contributions to the development of Chinese drama in the future.

In 1936, Tang huaiqiu led CTS back to Shanghai, creating a record that "drama sold more than movies". In 1937, the Anti Japanese war broke out, leading CTS to perform national salvation dramas in Wuhan and Hong Kong.

In the winter of 1939, CTS returned to Shanghai, which had become an "isolated island". After the outbreak of the Pacific War, it led CTS northward.

In September 1945, full of the hope of revitalizing CTS, he rushed to Nanjing, but refused the official subsidy.

In early 1947, CTS was forced to disband.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China, Tang huaiqiu worked as a director of Beijing opera at the Chinese Academy of opera.

He died in Beijing on April 25, 1954.

Personal evaluation

Tang huaiqiu is an influential actor and director in the history of modern drama. His images of Zhou Puyuan, pan Yueting and Wen Tianxiang are highly praised. As a director, he is good at using lines and angles to show pictures, revealing the relationship between characters and the connotation of the play. Thunderstorm is his representative work. Tang huaiqiu also played an important role in the movie "peach and plum robbery" and "Confucius".

personal honor

Hong xuanjiao (1941)

2. Confucius (1940)... Confucius

3. Flowers of the earth (1939)... Ma Ying

4. Peach and plum robbery (1934)

5. Morning of metropolis (1933)... Huang Menghua

6. Lovelorn (1933)

7. To the people (1926)

Pioneer of professional troupe

"A strange idea has harmed him all his life, but made him famous in history." This is the comment of drama researcher Hong Zhonghuang on Tang huaiqiu, the founder of China Travel drama company, the first professional drama company in China.

Tang huaiqiu was born on October 14, 1898 in a family of officials in Xiangxiang, Hunan Province. During his study in France, he was fascinated by drama. He saw that many European travel troupes even loaded their actors with scenery and props by car, and even carried their own "stage" to and fro on the flat road. They could attract audiences at any time and open "open-air theater" for public performances. This kind of "freedom theater" is very romantic. "Why don't we organize such a troupe in China?" after returning to China, Tang said Huaiqiu deeply felt that drama must move from school to a broader civil society, and drama creation and performance must enter the cultural market and become a real career.

In November 1933, he founded the China Travel Troupe (hereinafter referred to as "CTS") in Shanghai, with six members. "CTS" has just begun to perform in Beijing and Tianjin. Tang huaiqiu once said: "this time you can earn 3000 yuan, but the cost is less than 2000 yuan, so you can't fail economically."

On April 15, 1936, Tang huaiqiu returned to Shanghai, the birthplace of the troupe, with the famous northern drama troupe. At that time, there were many cinemas and theaters showing films and performing operas in Shanghai, but there was no theater dedicated to drama. Because of the lack of audience, drama was never sold for money.

"China Travel Service" theater is facing a severe test. Zeng Huantang, the manager of calden theater at that time, was afraid that there would be no audience for the drama, so he signed a "reciprocal" contract with Tang huaiqiu, that is, the theater would get the big head and the theater would get the small head. No matter how the ticket sales are, the theater income should be guaranteed. If the theater income is less than 156 yuan, the theater would make up for it, and the performance period is 10 days. In the face of such harsh conditions, Tang huaiqiu accepted it. He felt that the calden Grand Theater was located in the downtown area, where officials and dignitaries gathered, and the stage facilities were excellent. As long as it started here, it would open up a new situation in Shanghai.

Chinese PinYin : Tang Huai Qiu